The invention relates to a component having a negative differential resistance which arises if the breakdown field strength in a semiconductor is exceeded.
Negative differential resistances have been known for a long time in semiconductors and result from avalanche-type carrier multiplication by means of collision or impact or field ionisation e.g. in the thyristor or tunnel diode. When applying a sufficiently high voltage to a homogenous semiconductor element, a negative current/voltage chartacteristic is also formed in the breakdown region. These breakdown phenomena are generally also connected however with avalanche type rises in temperature with the formation of pinched current paths and with the destruction of the semiconductor sample.